Featured Etsy Seller

Contributed by:  NiftyKnits

Our first Etteam featured Etsy seller is with Pamela Jean Lacasse, who runs pjlacasse, a store with beautiful handmade jewellery and original artwork.

Tell us all about you, Pamela :-)

Cats or dogs?

I have a cat, Milow and Two chocolate labs, jack and logan.

Star Wars of Star Trek?

I love both Star wars and I grew up with Star Trek.

Fruit or Chocolate?

Chocolate: life is too short, so enjoy it while we are here, Eat what you want.

A woman after my own heart there!

Favourite colour?

green

Yes, I think I could already tell that from your shop!

Favourite meal?

Thanksgiving with all the fixings!!

I confess I don't know a lot about Thanksgiving (I'm in the UK) but I've seen Friends, of course. Thanksgiving will be the meal where Joey gets his head stuck in the turkey!

City break or weekend in the country?

A long walk in the woods, in winter,spring,summer or fall

And Pamela's love of nature really shines through in her work, I think.

How did you get started on Etsy?

Before I came to Etsy, I sold antiques, and jewelry on ebay . I got tired of shipping large packages! and jewelry is harder to sell on ebay. A friend told me about Etsy, I use to sell out of a small shop in New London, NH but her consignment fees went to 50% and it was either cut my price or the item just sat there.

I also do a Christmas fair but all I sell there is my art work and broken china ornaments, similar to the broken china pins, and earrings I sell now.

Do you have a favourite piece?

My green bracelet, that I use for my avatar!

Do you have a top tip for new Etsians?

The best lesson is to network! I opened my shop in August of 08, and I spent money on advertising which was a big waste! It gets you looks but no sales, and then I joined ETTEAM and things have looked up! I have 11 sales and 182 hearts! It may not seam like much but on a site where competition is stiff I think it's not bad, I can't quit my day job yet!

I would like to do enough business to someday quit my day job, as a florist! Like anything in life it takes hard work. I work two jobs (a small part time one at night) I can work at Etsy and take my time!

One last marketing tip: diversify your shop to bring in more traffic...network...on and off etsy. I did a home party before Christmas and did very well...I felt I was not in the other girls league but I held my own. It's hard to sell from a picture, if the customer can't hold it in their hand it's harder to sell it. So when people ask me how to sell on etsy I always say, pictures, pictures, pictures, then description and network!

Thanks Pam - good luck with your shop!

About the author: Heather Leavers has a lovely Etsy shop Nifty Knits, where she sells the most charming hand knitted "critters", beautiful flowers and fabulous knitwear!